Women ‘kidnap’, test hubby’s girlfriend for pregnancy

Two Gutu women allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and subjected a Harare woman to a pregnancy test after accusing her of having an extra-marital affair with one of the duo’s husbands.

The suspects, Karen Shenjere (29) and Mercy Mashava (38), have since approached the High Court seeking a review of the matter after being convicted of the offences in Gutu.

The court heard, on the morning of January 9 this year, Shenjere sent a text message to the complainant in the matter, Vida Chiripanyanga, while masquerading as her (Shenjere) husband and invited her to Gutu.

Chiripanyanga fell for the trap and proceeded to Gutu, where she arrived at 6pm and dropped off at a local service station, where she was received by Shenjere and Mashava, who were waiting in a car.

The two women immediately seized her cellphones and Shenjere allegedly poured petrol on Chiparanyanga while Mashava covered her mouth with a piece of cloth, dragged her into their car and drove off to an unknown destination.

Along the way, Mashava allegedly beat Chiripanyanga with a baton all over her body and when the car eventually stopped in a bushy area, the two suspects pushed her out, undressed her completely and ordered her to urinate in a container.

After urinating, the court heard, Shenjere tested the urine for pregnancy, while Mashava allegedly stabbed her on the hands, chest and back with a kitchen knife.
They then took her back and dumped her at the service station.

Chiripanyanga reported the matter to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest.

In her defence, Shenjere said on the day in question, she had earlier exchanged text messages with Chiripanyanga, where the latter boasted she was pregnant with her husband’s child.

“When I drove away with the complainant (Chiripanyanga) and the second applicant (Mashava), there was no intention of harming her, but only to remonstrate with her not to continue the affair with my husband because it was straining my marriage,” she said.

“The purpose of driving away was to draw away attention and ensure her safety as Gutu is a small community and we know each other. I feared the onlookers would take sides with me and harm the complainant due to the nature of her promiscuous conduct.

“I had with me on the fateful day a pregnancy test kit and I demanded that she urinates in a container, so that we could carry out pregnancy test.” Mashava said her role in the matter was so small and denied the allegations.